Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. I don't own these characters. This story is not meant to violate the rights held by Stephenie Meyer.

Break in the Clouds

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been?" Edward hugged Bella tightly and inhaled the scent of the woman he'd missed for two weeks now. It had been physically painful not knowing where she was. Or if she was even all right.

He'd lost count of the messages he'd left on her phone; he had even driven past her and Carlisle's house, but Edward's dear cousin had busted him.

That had been one night where desperate didn't come close to describing what Edward was.

Carlisle had stepped outside after Edward's seventh route up and down the quiet street, and it hadn't been pretty.

The truck idled next to the sidewalk in front of the house, and Edward tightened his grip on the wheel as Carlisle approached with measured steps.

Years of fighting with his cousin's side of the family automatically made his hackles rise, but Edward vowed to keep his shit together this time. It was he who'd done wrong here. Not Carlisle. Edward had fucked his cousin's wife . . . again and again . . . over and over . . . and it had been fucking spectacular. So, with that said, he really didn't have the right to even show his face on this street.

But he had no regrets what-so-ever. Regardless of how things had blown up, Edward wanted more. He craved a certain married woman like a goddamn drug. Only, it wasn't just for sex anymore.

Carlisle knocked on the window and Edward rolled it down, slowly releasing a cleansing breath.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here, Edward."

Since rumors had quickly spread to Edward of how Carlisle had physically dragged Bella away from the Grove after the fight with Jasper, he'd deduced that Carlisle knew about the affair. There was also the fact that Bella had handed in her resignation – or to be accurate, Carlisle had done it for her.

"Where is she?" Edward asked, cutting to the chase. "Is she okay?"

The blond man, still in his pristine suit even if it was close to midnight, folded his arms across his chest and sneered. "I fail to see how that's any of your business." He cocked his head. "Then again, you seem to have become an expert at sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Edward felt the corners of his mouth tug upward, and he was tempted to say it wasn't so much his nose as it was his dick, his fingers, and his tongue . . . but the latter killed his amusement. Because the one time Edward had surprised Bella with oral sex, she had nearly freaked the fuck out. It wasn't something he particularly enjoyed – well, giving it; receiving was golden – but during one of their hookups, all he'd wanted to do was taste her. He still wanted it. But after Bella's reaction, he doubted it would happen again. 'Cause according to Bella, it was gross. Although, Edward had a strong feeling she only felt that way because of something someone might've told her.

All this reminded Edward of how Carlisle had peeled off Bella's confidence, layer after layer.

He had bullied her.

When Carlisle didn't answer, Edward went at it again, no longer trying to be cordial. "Listen, you prick," he spat out. "Just tell me where the fuck she is, and I'll be out of your hair."

Carlisle let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, that's rich. You sleep with my wife," he pointed to his chest, "and I'm the prick?"

Edward lit up a smoke and shrugged. "Someone needed to show that woman pleasure and make her feel good about herself." But as those last words left him, guilt bubbled up in the form of nausea. Because he hadn't really made Bella feel good. An orgasm was one thing, but what about the rest? He'd fucked a pussy, not a woman. At least in the beginning. And the Jasper thing . . . that whole mess still made Edward want to throw up.

He also wanted to kick Jasper's ass again, but it didn't look like that was gonna happen. Jasper's house was empty, a sign about foreclosure in the front yard, and his store was closed. Edward hadn't seen the slightest glimpse of Jasper since that day.

Carlisle's answer brought Edward back to the here and now. "Ah, I assume you're referring to how I handle Bella's weight issue—"

"It's not a fucking issue," Edward snapped, fuming.

"—and again, it's none of your damn concern!" Carlisle spoke over him. "And maybe Bella doesn't see it, but I'm doing what's best for her. Or, I was. And," he glared, "there's nothing wrong with a little tough love."

Edward had driven away that night before he could become guilty of murder.

And now he finally had Bella in his arms again.

She was mumbling apologies about her absence – that she needed space, to be alone, and time to figure out her next move – but Edward didn't want her apologies. In his opinion, she had nothing to apologize for, and who could blame anybody for wanting to leave this town?

The next questions were asked at the same time, proving just how much they had to discuss.

"So, um . . . where's your wife?"

"By the way, why are you staying at a motel?"

Fanfiction written by AnotherPen, beta'd by InFlight75, pre-read by LAchick85 – we usually go by other names in the fandom.